Pretender's last days
by SmoothCriminalStealsHearts
Summary: Jarod and the gang meet the LB gang just as the rapture happens what could go wrong? Could Buck actually be a pretender! sorry lame summary hehe. R&R
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own either Pretender or Left Behind =) **

**Blue Cove, Delaware:**

"Sydney! Miss Parker! Syd-" "Hello Mr. Broots, looking for someone?" Broots froze on the spot. He turned around slowly at the familiar voice. "Mr. Lyle, I was just-"

"If you know anything about Jarod, just tell me. I can let Parker and Sydney know soon enough. You can trust me Broots." Mr. Lyle said laying a hand on Broots' shoulder. Broots shuddered and muttered, "How can you trust anyone at the Centre?"

"You trust Miss Parker and Sydney-why not me?" My Lyle asked looking calmly and expectantly at Broots. Broots gulped as Lyle led him into his office. "I got a package from Jarod. It's a magazine article, and a Bible verse on a sticky note." Broots explained as Lyle looked at the article and note.

"It's about that attack on Israel. Strange. And since when was Jarod interested in God?" Lyle asked looking at Broots as if for an answer. "The article came out of the _Global Weekly_ magazine. If that helps." Broots noted, awkwardly. Lyle nodded and pressed a button on his desk. "Find me Sydney and Miss Parker."

_**Global Weekly**_** office in New York:**

"So, you're the _Weekly's_ star reporter huh? And the youngest senior writer in the magazine?" Jarod asked the young man in slight admiration. Cameron Williams was a celebrated journalist, who had been in Israel when Russia attacked. He nodded, smiling bashfully. "And why is it everyone calls you 'Buck' again?" Jarod continued asking, trying to guess the emotions of the other man by his expressions. "Everyone says it's because I'm always bucking tradition and authority." buck replied with a laugh. Jarod smiled, thinking how this man was so smart, yet so young. It reminded him or himself.

"And, do you believe that…God stopped the Russians from destroying Israel?" That seemed to stop Buck. He looked down as if thinking, then said, "I do. A woman who works with the Chicago Offices, Lucinda Washington, keeps pressing me to take the next step, and commit my life to God. Or something like that."

"Sounds like you believe in God, but don't want to follow the Christian lifestyle." Jarod replied raising his eyebrow. "Oh, please. Don't start calling me a Christian, that's what I told Lucinda. Deist is as much as I'll cope to." Buck told him rolling his eyes.

Buck had to go take a call from a friend. Jarod waited where he was, and made a phone call himself.

"Hello, this is Sydney?"

"Hello Sydney.""Jarod,"

"Who's listening in?" Jarod asked, knowing exactly how the Centre works.

"No one, it's just me-"

"Come on Sydney, you taught me better than that. I know how to detect some who's listening in on a conversation." Sydney chuckled, "Miss parker, Broots, and Mr. Lyle."

"Did you get my package Broots?" Jarod asked.

"What does it mean? Have you become religious now?" Mr. Lyle said before Broots could respond.

"No. Just reading, researching. Never heard of anything like it, have any of you?""Aircrafts exploding and coming down on their own? No." Miss Parker spoke up this time.

Jarod looked up, Buck was talking quietly to whoever was on the other line. He heard the sound of Mr. Lyle's frustrated breathing. "Ok Jarod, does your latest scheme have anything to do with that magazine? Or was there something else we were supposed to be looking at?"

Jarod smiled and said, "Follow the bouncing ball." and hung up.

**The Centre:**

Mr. Lyle hunched forward in frustration. "Jarod and these little games he keeps playing, are really starting to get to me." Miss Parker straightened up and said, "Welcome to my world. Jarod lives to torment us all."

"I wonder if this has anything to do with, the writer who was in Israel." Sydney said observing the article closely.

"You think if we find this Williams' guy, we find Jarod?" Broots asked looking over Sydney's shoulder. Sydney laid the article on Mr. Lyle's desk and said, "Knowing Jarod, it's possible."

"Go do some research on Williams Broots. In the mean-time, Sydney, try and find out where Jarod's at. And Miss Parker, maybe we should see if our father knows anything about the writer or the magazine, you think?" Lyle ordered, smiling expectantly at Miss Parker. "Whatever."

**What do you think? I actually made this one before my other story, I just uploaded the other first. I hope you didn't hate it. I also hope that there's someone else out there who watches Pretender AND has read the Left Behind books… =.= =.= *Cheshire cat smile***

**Plus: This story's chapters are not going to be very long because I already have 5 and a half chapters made sooo….plz 4give! =) **

**~SmoothCriminalStealsHearts~ **


	2. Chapter 2

**New York: **

"Well, it was nice talking to you Buck." Jarod said shaking the young writers hand just before Buck hopped on his motorcycle. "It was nice to meet you too, Jarod." Buck replied smiling. Just as Buck was beginning to take off, they heard someone calling. "Buck! Buck, wait!"

"Yeah, Steve?" Buck asked his editor. "You're going to London to talk to your friend Dirk Burton right?" Steve asked glancing at Jarod and nodded his head. "Yeah, what about it?"

"Well, you know how I like to make sure the newbie's, even if their record say they're good, to learn the loop?" Buck nodded.

"Well, I want to pair you up with Jarod here. Sometimes I think, you'd be perfect to show someone new around. Other times I think, you're too good to show someone new around." Steve said chuckling. "So, you want Jarod to come with me to London…or what?" Buck asked smiling.

"Yeah, if you don't mind. I thought he might want to meet your friend…" Steve trailed off looking as if he really didn't want to bother Buck too much. Buck shook his head still smiling and said, "If you don't mind going to Chicago first, that's fine." Steve smiled, clapped Buck on the shoulder, gave an encouraging smile to Jarod and went back inside.

"Why do you need to go to Chicago?" Jarod asked. "I just thought I'd stop by and say hello to a friend. I hope it's no problem-" Buck began, but Jarod shook his head. "Not at all. When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow.""Not a problem. I'll probably need to leave by then anyway." Jarod replied smiling.

**The Centre:**

"You want to know, if I know anything about this magazine?" Mr. Parker asked staring at his two children. "Did you get this from Jarod?" Miss Parker looked her father in the eye and nodded, while Mr. Lyle said, "Yes sir. We just thought you might be able to help us get a lead on where Jarod's at this time."

Mr. Parker smiled eyes going over the article again. "I know that this is a prestigious magazine. We once had an undercover sweeper that was pretending to be a teacher at Princeton University, and he still works here. Maybe you can talk to him."

"But, daddy, why would there have been a sweeper at a college? And why would we need to speak to him?" Miss Parker asked confused, knowing that the Centre normally watched over children at a much younger age. "He knew this young man, the one who wrote this article. He told me." Mr. Lyle looked at his twin sister and smiled saying, "This may give us a lead."

**In Sydney's office:**

**Sydney had been going through some of Jarod's old simulations, looking for something that might show him where he's at now. There it is. He inserted it into his computer and watched as a grayscale video came up. **

"**Now Jarod, you have the clue, where is he at?" a younger Sydney was saying to a younger Jarod.**

"**I don't know! Maybe it has to do with the place! Or the person! Yeah! It has to be the person!" Jarod was saying. "Good job Jarod-" Sydney shut it off when he heard his phone ringing.**

"**This is Sydney."**

"**Any idea where I'm at?""Jarod, does this have anything to do with that writer, Williams?""You were watching one of my simulations, weren't you? So was I. That same one. Think of this as that same situation." BEEP. Jarod had hung up.**

**Sydney smiled to himself, then decided to go find Broots and see if he had anything on this writer.**


	3. Chapter 3

**With Mr. Lyle and Miss Parker:**

"Cameron Williams was a very intelligent, very talented kid. He had started out writing bits and pieces for the University newspaper, then got a job with some big news thing. I don't remember things very well, but I do remember him." Darren the sweeper was telling the twins.

"This isn't telling us anything." Miss Parker said standing up and started to walk out of the room. Mr. Lyle nodded at Darren, who looked confused, and followed Miss Parker. "Who let him be a sweeper?" Miss Parker asked blowing smoke from her cigarette. "Maybe Broots or Sydney got something." Lyle said shaking his head.

As they were walking, Mr. Raines came wheezing up to them. "What do you want?" Miss Parker asked bitterly. "I am going to help you…" he wheezed sharply as if he really didn't want to. "A little less than twenty years ago, there was a boy we had taken as a teenager. He was smart and also very challenging. We managed to help him work in our favor, until he escaped. We had suspected Jarod , but we had no proof."

"So is this boy that escaped Cameron Williams?" Mr. Lyle asked. Mr. Raines nodded and said, "He has no memory of the part of his life here." the twins looked at each other and started looking for Broots and Sydney, hoping they had a lead.

Just then Broots and Sydney came up to them, both starting to talk at once. "Ok, ok! One at a time." Parker yelled glaring at both of them. "We think if we find Cameron Williams we find Jarod-" Sydney began and Broots continued, "Williams lives in New York and works with the _Global Weekly_ building."

"Perfect. Looks like were going to New York." Miss Parker said smiling and taking out her phone. "Get me a Centre chopper. Now."

**On a plane that's on it's way to Chicago:**

"So Jarod, tell me about yourself." Buck said trying to start a conversation. "I grew up in Delaware. I never knew my parents, I had met my brother, but I didn't know that at the time. I learned that I have a sister, I've been searching for them." Jarod told him smiling sadly as he brought out three pictures.

"This is my mother, me, and my father's reflection. This is my mother and brother. The only one I know for sure that's dead is my brother." Buck looked closely at the pictures. He sighed and said, "your mother's beautiful. How did your brother die? If you don't mind my asking." Buck added quickly.

"He was shot. It's a long story, details and what not." Buck nodded and told Jarod of his family.

"I can't imagine not knowing my family. My mother died of cancer nine years ago, and me, my father and brother don't get along very well. Sometimes the only people I really think care about me, are my sister-in-law, Steve Plank, Dirk Burton, Alan Tompkins, and Lucinda Washington."

Buck chuckled shaking his head. "You think if you put yourself in a place of danger, your father or brother wouldn't come to help you?" Jarod asked. Buck looked up, thinking, then shook his head. "I'm not real sure." Just then they began their descant into Chicago.

**New York just outside a Centre chopper:**

"Ok boys, where to find Williams?" Miss Parker asked over the roar of the chopper.

"I guess the _Global Weekly_ office." Broots said running to catch up with the others.

"Lets go then."

**Steve Plank's office:**

Steve Plank was sitting at his desk, just finished a conversation with Stanton Bailey, when a scowling brunette woman walked in. Following her was a man with no thumb on his left hand, and two half-bald guys, one with grey hair the other with brown.

"Can I help you four with something?" Steve asked staring at them all.

"Yeah, have you seen this man?" the woman asked laying a picture on his desk. "Why that's Jarod! Well he and Cameron Williams are on their way to London, taking a detour in Chicago." Steve told them, hoping Jarod and Buck weren't in trouble.

"Do you know what their doing in Chicago?" the thumb less man asked. Steve nodded saying, "Yeah, Buck was going to say hi to the chief editor of the _Weekly down there." _

"_Perfect, call the chopper to come pick us up and take us to Chicago." the woman ordered the grey-haired man. And they left, leaving Steve to sit there and wonder what that was all about._


	4. Chapter 4

**Chicago office:**

"Cameron! How dare you sneak in here without my knowledge!" Lucinda Washington scolded seeing Buck in her chair. Buck laughed and signaled for Jarod to come in. "This is Jarod, he just started at the _Weekly_."

"Hello Jarod, welcome to the team, I'm Lucinda Washington." Lucinda shook Jarod's hand and sat in down in her chair.

"Why are you here Cameron? How long are you here?" Lucinda asked looking at Buck. Jarod guessed that these two had almost a mother-son bond. "I only stopped by to say hi, we got a plane heading for London in about an hour or two." Buck replied with a sheepish smile.

Lucinda sighed. "I wish you could join us for church. Try to save a Sunday in your busy schedule for us, will you Cameron?" Buck blushed slightly and said, "I'll see what I can do." Jarod stood and said, "I have to make a phone call if you don't mind." Lucinda stood quickly and said, "Maybe you should make it in here, Verna is not a very happy camper, and wouldn't enjoy the disturbance."Jarod nodded and punched in a number.

"What?"

"Your still in a helicopter? I would've thought you'd have in New York by now." Jarod said smiling.

"Jarod, - oh, back off Lyle! - actually were on our way to Chicago, heard you're going to London."

"Broots was that quick to do his research huh?"

"Enough of these games Jarod, you think just because you're leaving the country we won't find you?""Not at all, I just want to broaden your range of the search." Jarod hung up.

"Something wrong?" Buck asked once Jarod walked back over to him. "No, just an old friend." Jarod smiled.

**1 hour later:**

Jarod and Buck had just gotten on their flight to London, when they heard a chopper land nearby. Buck looked out his window- him being closer- and asked, "Who in the right mind would land a chopper right next to an airplane getting ready for takeoff?" Jarod just watched as four people, three men and a woman, got out of the chopper. They walked right up to the plane. Miss Parker was putting up a fuss, then she started arguing with Mr. Lyle. A door opened, Jarod could finally hear what they were saying.

"You can't just pay to get on the plane now!" The woman Miss Parker was arguing with was saying,

"Listen you-" she swore, "if you don't let me on this plane right now, well, you'll wish you hadn't."Lyle spoke up, "I'd let her on the plane if I were you."

Parker looked like she was going to blow fire on him. Jarod chuckled. "Does seeing people argue always make you laugh?" Buck asked smiling. Jarod shook his head, still smiling when they were asked to leave.

His smile faded when Miss Parker made a phone call, and the other woman smoke to whoever, then she let them on.

"I have to go to the restroom before we takeoff." Jarod said quickly walking away. Buck look confused but didn't say anything. Buck say the four people walk next to him. The guy with the half-bald half-brown hair whispered to the others. "That's who Jarod's with."

"Excuse me may I sit somewhere here in first-class?" the brunette woman asked. "I'm afraid not, we don't have any open seats…" the flight attendant stared at the empty seat next to Buck. "Oh no, someone is sitting here." "Then where is he? Everyone should be seated now, shouldn't they?" the brunette woman asked leaning forward smiling gently at Buck. Buck blushed- which is something he doesn't do easy- and coughed lightly.

The woman sat down next to Buck and the flight attendant led the other three towards the lower seats. "So, what's your name?" Buck shook his head, _These people are probably harmless, what would be wrong to give her my name, right? _


	5. Chapter 5

**Flight to London, with Jarod:**

Jarod knew Sydney always went to the restroom right when the seatbelts were not needed. Jarod had been hiding in the restroom, until Sydney got there. Jarod saw him, grabbed him by the shoulder and pinned him against the wall.

"Jarod.""Hello Sydney, I took a look at where you're sitting. Where's miss Parker sitting?" Jarod asked knowing that she must have sat in his seat next to Buck. "Possibly interrogating your friend. Why send us on that wild goose chase, it's not like you."

"That's easy," Jarod said smiling. "I didn't know my schedule was going to change, now here I am on a flight to London." Sydney shook his head as Jarod loosened his grip in Sydney's shoulder. "Who were you going to help this time?"

"I hadn't found anyone yet, I was just curious about the Israel attack, and wanted to speak with Buck." Jarod replied, "But looks like I can't talk to him right now."

**Buck and Miss Parker:**

"My name's Cameron Williams. Call me Buck." Buck told the woman giving her a friendly smile.

She smiled back. "You can call me Miss Parker." Buck though that was strange, she wouldn't give him her first name. "So, where do you work?" Miss Parker asked Buck.

Buck smiled and said, "I work with the _Global Weekly_. And you?" Miss Parker smiled, almost bitterly, "I work with a private organization." _This guy was used in the Centre? Humph._ "So, did you come here with anyone?" Miss Parker asked him.

"Yeah, I did. I actually should go and see what's taking him so long-" Miss Parker turned so Buck could get out, then followed after him when he couldn't see.

**With Buck:**

**Buck had been on his way to see if the restroom was occupied and it was, so he backed up a bit and something made his ears perk up.**

"**Ok, now that's weird. What are the odds that the one guy Jarod wants to talk to was at the Centre as a teenager?" **

"**Now that I think about it, I do remember seeing a young boy around with Raines and Brigitte." "How long have you and 'Brigitte' been working at the Centre, and me Sydney or Broots never saw you?" Miss Parker's voice said. **

"**This is the Centre, Miss Parker, anything can happen." "Hey guys, I wonder where Sydney's at?" **

**Buck jumped when a hand grabbed his shoulder. "Looking for me?" Jarod asked smiling. **

"**Oh Jarod, you scared me."**

"**Let's go back to our seats."**

**Jarod smiled expectantly at Miss Parker and the others as they passed, Sydney came out behind them and sat in the seat across from Mr. Lyle and Broots and Miss parker sat by him.**

"**I told Jarod the truth about Williams. He swears he will do everything in his power to keep that knowledge from getting to Williams. He says he's not driving an innocent man back towards the hell of the Centre after he had already gotten his life back."**

**Sydney explained looking at Miss Parker as she thought quietly to herself. "Jarod just can't get away from the Centre or anyone associated with it can he?" Miss Parker smiled tiresomely. **

**And they spoke quietly to each other until they all nodded off to sleep, and as for Jarod and Buck, they too talked till the slept.**


End file.
